INTER-CULTURAL CHALLENGES FACING TRANSLATION IN IGBO AND ENGLISH LANGUAGES

Abstract

This study is about inter-cultural challenges facing translation of Igbo language into English language or vice versa. English language referred to here is the British English. The study tries to find out the cultural elements that pose challenge to translation where Igbo language is the source language and English language is the receptor/target language; and where the English language is the source language and Igbo language is the receptor/target language. The study was guided by the theory of indeterminacy of translation and use theory of meaning. The researcher used face-to-face encounter with the teachers and speakers of English language who are of Igbo origin as the method of data collection. At the end of the study, the researcher discovered that sometimes when Igbo language is the source language and English language is the receptor/target language or vice versa, translators are faced with the problem of representing to the receptors what is completely outside their experiences. This is because Igbo culture is widely different from British culture. The cultural divergence is noticed mainly in some cultural exhibitions like food processing and eating habit, religious beliefs and practices, housing system, etc. At the end of the study, the researcher suggested some solutions to the problem. Some of them are adoption of words that will serve as equivalent to some of the cultural terms in both languages. There is need for indigenous Igbo-English speakers to make effort to adopt words that will be equivalent to the Igbo cultural terms in question. Then translators should pay more attention to the central message of the source language.